Darwin methane cover-up exhibits polluting fuel corporations have to be held accountable for his or her local weather air pollution

REVELATIONS the Santos-owned Darwin LNG fuel export hub has been secretly leaking fuel for practically 20 years current compelling proof that polluting fuel corporations can’t be trusted to control their very own local weather air pollution, in accordance with the Climate Council.

In a local weather scandal hiding in plain sight, reports today allege Santos and former proprietor ConocoPhillips knew concerning the enormous methane leak, as did state and federal regulators. All did not act on the leak, which is estimated to emit 184kg of polluting methane each hour.

Climate Councillor Professor Lesley Hughes mentioned: “Methane is the second greatest driver of worldwide warming after carbon dioxide. It’s a local weather super-pollutant that’s turbocharging excessive climate, and fuel corporations are letting it leak into the environment with out being held accountable.

“ConocoPhillips turned a blind eye to this leak for nearly a 12 months earlier than reporting it, and 5 years later it nonetheless hasn’t been fastened. This is strictly why we should have efficient unbiased monitoring and verification of methane air pollution from all fossil gas operations.

“Australia is already the world’s twelfth largest methane polluter, and our coal and fuel corporations could also be under-reporting their methane air pollution by as much as 60 %. That means the size of this drawback is probably going far worse than official figures present.

“The Australian Government has signed up to the Global Methane Pledge to slash global methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. But a promise is not a plan. We need to adopt a measurable and accountable mechanism to drive genuine methane emissions reductions to 2035, and fulfill our commitments under the Global Methane Pledge.”

For extra on Australia’s methane drawback and what wants to alter, see the Climate Council’s report: Dangerously Overlooked: Why we have to discuss methane.

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The Climate Council is Australia’s main community-funded local weather change communications organisation. We present authoritative, professional and evidence-based recommendation on local weather change to journalists, policymakers, and the broader Australian group.

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